Beat Your Heart Out
by YouthwithoutYouth
Summary: Cosima and Delphine meet in France when Cos is on exchange. Things get complicated, they might also get sexy.
1. Chapter 1

Hunched in a doorway marvelling at the beautiful night sky Delphine pulled hard on her cigarette, breathing in the smoke and the stifling mid-summer's night air. The sky was yellow blue, a single orange brush stroke streaked across the middle. She felt the summer magic tingle in her bones. She was excited for the night that lay ahead, cheap wine and good company. It was nearing ten o'clock and she was waiting for her friends who were coming over to hang at her house, more specifically her barn.

Fairy lights twinkled in the background of the familiar wooded room, throw cushions littered across the faded red couches, strewn across the floor. Paper cups and napkins set quietly on the crates that functioned as a table.

"Heeey Ms Delphine, nice set up."

"Frédéric!"

Enveloping herself in the nook of his shoulder Delphine wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist. Cascades of dark chocolate curls caught her eye and she moved out from under Frédéric's arm. Slightly hidden behind Frédéric's cousin Peter was a tiny girl dressed in figure hugging black skinny jeans and a maroon tank top that threatened to slip off her tiny tanned. Her smile lit up her whole face, infecting Delphine and transforming her mouth from its usually thoughtful pout into a matching giddy smile.

She extended her hand and said in her lazy American accent "I'm Cosima."

Her beauty had been foretold in a name that spoke of the stars.

"Salut" Delphine purred.

She watched as a crimson blush creeped across Cosima's cheeks. Half whispered French had an enticing effect on people, their bodies dipped towards her, an inadvertent swoon.

Before Cosima got a chance to respond cries for assistance in carrying the beer sounded from the car.


	2. Chapter 2

Strewn across a couch Frédéric's cousin Stephen and his boyfriend Peter were passed out, laying awkwardly on top of each other. While on the opposite couch Cosima and Delphine were pressed together in the center of the couch with Grég and Frédéric acting as bookends.

"Damn those boys cannot smoke." Cosima said passing the currently lit joint to Delphine and picking up her beer.

Her slim short fingers gripped the cool beer can, Delphine watched them flex admiring Cosima's perfectly applied black nail varnish.

"Your nails are so pretty." Delphine said wanting to reach out and touch her hand, wanting to know how it would look clasped between her long pale fingers.

"Thanks" said Cosima dipping her head to hide the blush that spread itself across her face.

"Stop flirting with the cute American girl and pay attention to your sexy French boyfriend" Frédéric joked wrapping his arm protectively around Delphine's waist, pressed her against him.

"Uh, no God no, we weren't flirting," Cosima spluttered her hands waving frantically in front of her "I swear."

Her words hung in the air unanswered, Delphine and Frédéric were too busy giggling as he swung her from side to side, her legs dangling in the air. He set down on the top of the musty old crate table and she straddled his lap.

Drunk on cheap beer and the smell of arousal Grég turned Cosima's face towards him and clumsily launched himself at her mouth. Cosima gasped and her eyes shot open. It didn't feel right, his tongue flicking against hers, his hands on her body, but she yearned to watch Delphine and this seemed like her only option besides openly staring.

Soft lips tinged with the taste of stale hops pressed themselves against hers and Cosima forced herself to close her eyes and press back. Moving her hands to his face she felt rough skin and a wide jaw. Hands slipped beneath her shirt and stilled against her back, gently stroking the skin there.

Straining to see out of the corner of her eye she watched Delphine push her body against Frédéric's. Her mouth moved urgently, pressing wet opened mouth kisses against Frédéric's waiting lips. It was like a well-practiced ballet. Frédéric pulled himself away from Delphine and gripped her face, gasping, staring at Delphine with a frightening intensity until she pushed his hand up her shirt and devoured his lips in a kiss.

The sound of retching broke the spell and they all rushed over to where Peter was curled on the floor, his head dipping in a pool of his own vomit.

When Peter was able to stand Stephen decided it would be best if they walked him back home, he was sure he'd want to wake up in his own (guest) bedroom the next morning. Cosima admired Frédéric's loyalty to his family, you could see how much strength it took to drag himself away from Delphine, she wouldn't have blamed him for staying.

"How does," Delphine paused making sure she had Cosima's full attention "going to the main house and making some hot chocolate sound?"

"It sounds like you are an absolute genius," Cosima said "I've crazy munchies right now."


	3. Chapter 3

"Shit man," said Cosima "this place is unreal."

Laughing Delphine opened one of the many cupboards in the pristine marble kitchen.

It reminded Cosima of something she'd seen on MTV Cribs. Ostentatious but enviable.

"So you're super rich then" teased Cosima.

"Erm, we are well off but we weren't always."

"So what changed?"

"Ma mere she, she wrote a book. It sold pretty well and she got a good advance on the second book," Delphine laughed "which did not do so well. But she was able to put my father through college. Then my god father Aldous helped him get him a position with the World Health Organisation."

"Zee world heelth organization" Cosima mimicked.

Delphine giggled.

"So are they here?"

"Oh, non. Ma mere is in Paris with her friends and my father is in the Philippines. He works there most of the time. We lived there for a few years when I was younger."

"Why'd you come back?" Cosima asked, suddenly intimated. Delphine was sexy, French, and worldly.

"It wasn't supposed to be a long term thing. Mon pére wanted me to go to secondary school in Paris."

Delphine was making a science out of hot chocolate, measuring the milk and sugar carefully, adding cinnamon and chocolate flakes. Cosima was watching how she moved, her body lithe, shimmering across the marble kitchen, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Do you look like them?

She never knew if this was an appropriate question, did it allude to a deeper physical interest? Was it as obvious as saying 'I think you're crazy hot please have sex with me?'

"Em, yes, like a weird mix of both of them. Ma mere is as tiny as you though. I get my height from my father."

Cosima shuffled over to the fridge in an attempt to hide the beaming smile that flit itself across her face. Why was she so giddy? It's not like Delphine had actually complimented her.

"Do you?"

"Ha, no. Like not at all. My parents both have blue eyes and blonde hair. They met in Germany and immigrated over here."

"And your eyes are?"

"Browny green I guess."

Delphine stepped closer to Cosima, pushing her hair from her eyes and resting her hand on Cosima's cheek. Tilting Cosima's face towards her Delphine gazed down at her intensely.

Cosima felt too exposed, too vulnerable. Her breath caught in her throat.

She closed her eyes, shutting out the deep green of Delphine's eyes that had become an ocean she was drowning in, her body was on fire, desperate to take a breath that wasn't filled with Delphine's scent. She took a step back and Delphine's hand fell from her face.

When Cosima looked up she found Delphine delicately holding two hot chocolates that were full to the brim with tiny marshmallows. She was trying to carry them into the living room but they threaten to spill overboard at any moment.

Setting the hot chocolates down on the table Delphine threw herself onto one of the huge plush couches and patted beside her with a goofy smile.

_It was strange that someone so elegant could have such a goofball_ smile, Cosima thought to herself.

She found herself watching as Delphine attempted to use her spoon to isolate each marshmallow before scooping it into her mouth, a smile of accomplishment lingering for a moment after.

"So how long have you been with Frédéric?" Cosima asked. She shifted on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest and facing Delphine. Her cup sat on top of her knees and she focused on thr swirling milky chocolate, not trusting herself to look directly at Delphine.

"Mmm, three years this summer"

"THREE YEARS?"

"Haha yes, it wasn't planned that way, but.." Delphine let her sentence trail off.

"Cool, awesome, super awesome." Cosima heard her mouth say. Her brain was whirring, _holy shit they're practically married_, she thought.

"What's your longest relationship?"

"A few months" Cosima replied, downing her hot chocolate.

She was feeling all sorts of confused. It was getting more and more difficult to even breathe in the same air as Delphine. She felt like she wasn't getting enough oxygen to her brain. Her thoughts were making less and less sense and she found herself wanting to reach out and touch Delphine.

"I gotta go" Cosima said, abruptly standing up and heading out Delphine's front door.

"What, em, w-wait Cosima. I will walk you back"

Cosima waved Delphine's suggestion away as she slowly backed out Delphine's front door.

"See you around" Cosima said, hoping desperately to never ever see Delphine again.

Her brisk walk turned into a sprint as the early morning air rushed into her lungs. She could breathe again.


End file.
